This application relates to the field of data storage devices and more particularly to the field of magnetic tape storage devices using a wide tape cartridge.
One device for the storage of electronic data is a tape cartridge having one or two reels and containing a length of recordable magnetic tape. One common type of cartridge has wide top and bottom cartridge members connected by relatively narrow front, back and side cartridge portions. The reels rotate about respective spaced-apart axes which are perpendicular to the wide top and bottom cartridge members. The tape has typically a width comparable to the height of the narrow cartridge portions and moves parallel thereto for recording and reading data. In typical data storage applications, the tape width is between 1/2 inch and 1 inch. The tape is fed from the cartridge to a reading device through a hinged door in the surface of the cartridge. These cartridges are widely used for storage of crucial data, files, and information because they are inexpensive and capable of storing a large quantity of information.
Data are recorded on parallel recording tracks extending along the tape transport direction. Modern tape drives using 1/2 inch wide tape in combination with STORM (Servo Track Optical Write Magnetic) technology may record several hundred parallel logical tracks, with each logical track containing 8, 16 or more physical tracks. The tapes may have a length of several hundred meters and may therefore have to be moved over a considerable distance before a specified file can be accessed. File access with tape storage devices therefore tends to be relatively slow, typically in the order of several ten seconds to several minutes.
Larger quantities of data may be stored and accessed online by arranging the data tapes in juke-box type storage cabinets, with each cabinet holding tens or hundreds of tapes. Robotic tools may be used to automatically remove a requested tape from its storage slot in the cabinet and insert the tape into a tape drive.
It would therefore be desirable to provide a tape cartridge and a tape recording system which allows faster access to the files recorded on the recording tape. It would also be desirable to use existing storage facilities and robotic tools with the different types of tape cartridges.